*Now a Major Film* On the night of 24 August 1875 Matthew Webb, a 27-year-old British Navy captain, launched himself into the English Channel at Dover. Twenty-one hours and 45 minutes later he became the first man to swim the English Channel. In this acclaimed biography, Kathy Watson shows how Captain Webb was instrumental in bringing the sport of swimming into the modern era. It is also a study of the Victorian drive to push back the boundaries of endurance. In THE CROSSING, Watson uses this great British eccentric's extraordinary life as a springboard to explore themes of obsession and failure and the emerging force of the media, and swimming's place in our psyche.

After day sailing, the next step for the adventurous yachtsman or motorboater is their first open sea crossing, and for many that invariably entails crossing the English Channel. This invaluable guide walks the first timer through their first Channel crossing step by step, tackling all the aspects that have to be taken into account before embarking, as well as managing on the trip, in the order in which they will be encountered. The trip is eminently achievable given good planning, reasonably competent crew and a working knowledge of navigation, and this essential handbook shows how to apply knowledge and skills to crossing the Channel in a safe and enjoyable way - for all concerned. Aspects covered include: - Preplanning: navigation, tides, weather, timing, course setting, bolt holes, collision regs, boat preparations, etc - Provisioning for all conditions - Weather on the day - Crew briefing (safety, watches, etc) - Grab bag, flares, etc Packed with instructional photos, facts and advice, this handholding book is perfect for anyone thinking of attempting a Channel crossing, whether by sail or power. Encouraging, engaging and practical, by covering each stage in precisely the amount of detail required for the first-timer, it is like having an instructor or mentor on board.

Discusses the Allied invasion of Normandy, with extensive details about the planning stage, called Operation Overlord, as well as the fighting on Utah and Omaha Beaches.

From the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of The Sense of an Ending, his first collection of short stories explores the vast divide between England and France. • “A witty, playful and ironic writer at the top of his form." —San Francisco Chronicle In this collection, Barnes explores the narrow body of water containing the vast sea of prejudice and misapprehension which lies between England and France with acuity, humor, and compassion. For whether Barnes's English characters come to France as conquerors or hostages, laborers, athletes, or aesthetes, what they discover, alongside rich food and barbarous sexual and religious practices, is their own ineradicable Englishness. The ten stories that make up Cross Channel introduce us to a plethora of intriguing, original, and sometimes ill-fated characters. Elegantly conceived and seductively written, Cross Channel is further evidence of Barnes's wizardry.

Concept, reality and expectations - Management of the project - Tunnel design and construction - Geology, alignment and survey - Machine-driven tunnels - Major Underground structures - Construction planning and logisitics - Tunnel lining design and procurement

A history of the building of the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France, with emphasis on the difficulties of digging a tunnel where some engineers said it could not be done.

The Channel Tunnel is a huge construction project, employing over 14,000 people at peak, and costing over 11 billion of private money. It has succeeded in spite of great financial, political and techncial difficulties, and a fundamentally flawed contract. This book tells the story of the project, based on the coverage in Construction News and with